Chapter 38

Thirty-Eight

IZZY

W e decide to head to the arcade on the opposite side of town. According to Ethan—who’s practically bouncing in the passenger seat—the arcade has the best games in the county.

“I’m still going to kick your ass,” I tell Ethan seriously, leaning forward so I can rest my arms on the center console.

“Ha. You wish!” Ethan slides his gaze in my direction, blushes, and immediately focuses back out the windshield. “You may have beat me in Mario Kart once or twice?—”

“Every time,” I correct.

“—but I am the master of arcade games.”

“It’s true,” Emery interjects, not taking his eyes off the road. He steers the car expertly down a side street. Now that we’re no longer in a hurry, he doesn’t feel the need to drive like he’s on a racetrack. “There’s a reason why Ethan has no life or a girlfriend. He spends all of his time at the arcade like a nerd.”

“Hey!” Ethan’s cheeks pinken, and he whacks his brother across the head. “Shut up.”

“Don’t hit the driver.” Emery uses one hand to rub at his head, but the wicked glint in his eyes never dissipates.

“It’s not like you had a thousand girlfriends either,” Ethan says with a scoff. “Actually, you’ve had exactly?—”

“Oh look. We’re here!” Emery interrupts as we pull into a parking lot.

The large brick building is nestled between a Go-Cart track and a mini golf course. A banner above the door announces an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet.

“I kind of want Ethan to finish that sentence,” I say as Emery pulls the car into a parking space near the front.

Unsurprisingly, it’s not crowded. Most of its clientele are still in school.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Emery warns his twin.

“Emery may act like a huge player and flirt, but he?—”

“Ethan, I swear to god.”

“He never had a girlfriend before.” This comes from Ansel beside me.

All three of us turn to stare at him, and he shrugs innocently.

“What? I hear things. The girls at school always complain that the Magnetic Four never give them the time of day.”

Emery’s nose wrinkles. “The Magnetic Four?”

“Wait.” My brain short-circuits. “You never had a girlfriend? Neither of you?”

Ethan, I can see. He’s sexy as sin but always blushes a beetroot red when he’s around me…or any girl, for that matter. He prefers to spend his nights playing video games instead of partying.

But Emery? The man practically exudes sex. His tattoos, combined with his piercings and spiked hair, give him a bad-boy edge. He flirts like it’s an Olympic Sport and he’s gunning for the gold medal.

And it’s not just with me—though I’ll be the first to admit that he’s only been flirting with me as of late. According to some of my friends, he used to flirt with everyone who had a pulse.

Tattoos? Check.

Sexy grin? Check.

Piercings? Check.

He’s the unholy trinity of dark, sexy, and dangerous.

“Let’s play some arcades!” Emery says with feigned cheer, slipping out of the car.

I exchange a “what the fuck” glance with Ansel before following him out.

“Wait. Wait. Wait. I want to hear more about this,” I say, hurrying to catch up with the twins. “How is it possible that neither of you has had a girlfriend? Did you just have casual flings, then?”

Emery ignores me entirely and rubs his hands together. “I love me some arcades.”

“Dude.” I give him a look. “Stop saying the word arcades. I feel like you’re using it as a verb, a noun, and an adjective. It’s getting weird. Now answer the question.”

Emery slings an arm over my shoulders and pulls me into his side.

Surprising even myself, I don’t attempt to pull away.

“You’re nosey.”

“Yup.”

Ansel chuckles from somewhere behind me.

Ethan moves to my other side and flashes me a sheepish smile. “Look, men like…us…”

He fumbles over his words, and I know it’s because he can’t give away too much with Ansel around. I nod to tell him I understand, and he continues.

“We usually wait until we find the one. Do you get what I mean?” His earnest eyes ensnare my own.

For a moment, I’m helpless to look away, trapped in his gaze.

Then his words register.

Is he saying…?

Do shifters wait until they meet their mates before having sex? Before dating? Would that mean…? No. There’s no way.

No fucking way.

Ethan, maybe.

Emery, no. Hell no.

“That’s…kind of romantic, in a way that makes me want to vomit,” Ansel deadpans.

“We all know the only action you’re getting is from that stick shoved up your ass,” Emery snaps, glaring at him over his shoulder.

I give Emery’s arm a squeeze and whisper, “Behave.”

A strange tremor works its way through him. He gives me a look out of the corner of his eyes that’s full of barely suppressed heat.

My stomach flips over itself.

I quicken my pace—pulling in front of the twins and Ansel—and reach the entrance first.

I’m immediately greeted by the smell of greasy cheese and sauce. In the distance, I can hear the beeping of arcade games and the laughter of children. An adult curses, and a woman giggles.

Ethan bounces on the tips of his toes like a kid in a candy shop.

Or a nerd in an arcade.

“You’re kind of a geek, aren’t you?” I say to him, unable to hide the fondness in my voice.

His eyes snap to mine, and a grin lights up his face. He’s handsome normally, but when he smiles like that…

The butterflies in my stomach go crazy.

“As if I’m the only one.” He scoffs.

“You ready for me to kick your ass at every single arcade game here?” I tease.

Something in his expression softens the longer he looks at me. “I think I can suck up my masculine pride and lose graciously.”

“As if.” Emery throws his arms around both of our shoulders and steers us towards the front counter, where a bored-looking attendant sells tokens. “We all know you’re a sore loser.”

“Am not.”

“You totally cried when I beat you at bumper cars.”

“I was six, Emery. Six!”

I reach behind me before we can get too far and interlock my fingers with Ansel’s, tugging him closer to us. He looks moderately surprised, but then he smiles, and my heart squeezes painfully.

“You threw a toy car at my head,” Emery retorts.

“I. Was. Six. And it wasn’t at your head. It was supposed to be your stomach.”

“Your aim is as shit as your bumper cars skills.”

I pinch Emery’s arms lightly, drawing his attention back to me.

“Stop teasing your brother,” I say.

Emery’s eyes twinkle. “But it’s so fun.”

“Be a good boy and behave,” I warn.

Just like before, a strange heat flares in Emery’s eyes, and my heart kicks into overdrive. Lava courses through my veins.

What the hell?

I try to remind myself that I’m still mad at him, still hurt and upset and confused, but the fire in my belly refuses to listen to my brain. It fizzles and bubbles and takes on a life of its own. My lungs burn.

Ansel’s lighthearted teasing pulls me back to the present. “How about a wager?”

Ethan’s ears practically perk up. “I’m listening.”

“Whoever wins the most games gets…” Ansel taps a finger to his chin in consideration.

An evil idea occurs to me, and my smile broadens. “I have an idea about what we could bet on.”